Happy to be from the West!

*May include spoilers. All media credits go to their owners*

Today I want to write about something that has always been on my mind whenever I watch anime or read something related to the Japanese culture - how differently society behaves here and there. And especially when watching anime, I find myself wondering whether the things they show there are really how things work. I mean, it's likely that school life is more or less exactly like it is pictured - children changing their shoes in the lobby, changing seating a few times per year and getting sorted into new classes once every couple of years. But is it really true that the most popular guy in school has food grades, is good at sports and acts nice to everyone?

When I think back to my high school times - which by the way ended like 5 years ago - I don't remember any of the cool kids being awesome at studying. Sure, there were athletes and yeah, there were nice guys too. But there were also random people who did nothing but drink and hang out doing, well - nothing, and their popularity was based mostly on being bad at school. Seriously, that gang in the back who never listened to anything the teachers said and played cards even during classes, that was "teh leetzor" gang to belong to. Now, I personally don't have a very vivid experience with the entire thing since we had 30 girls and 1 guy (poor dude) in the class - obviously the popularity contest can't really happen if there is no audience to compete before. The girls just formed groups based on interests or similarities and that's how it went. I also played in a rock band and liked playing video games so the fucks I gave about the entire girls-class thing was an absolute 0. But I did hang out with some of the cool kids from other classes because we had music to connect us and to be quite blunt - I don't think they were neither smart nor soulful.

Tomoya

Looking at school life in anime though, being a delinquent is generally looked down upon (which is completely the other way around here). Your grades should be at least a medium ranked to be able to charm anyone with your looks and kindness. Think about Tomoya from Clannad for a second. He was obviously rather handsome and evidently pretty kind and caring, but most of the people from their class still thought badly of him since he didn't care about studying. What kind of a society does it take to make kids think studying is awesome? In a sense, I think I would actually prefer that society. You are urged from an early age to strive for something and be someone. True, it will probably be challenging at times but by then you would already be used to it. You are constantly urged to form bonds, participate in events - student councils and committees are serious institutions and you actually get some credit for being the class rep. Then again, you would be competing with a mass of hard working ants who all aim for similar goals. Also, regardless of whether it's popular or not to study in the Western countries, if you do it well you'll probably have better shots at things. But to stand out from a mass of study bugs you'd have to be 100% dedicated to working your way through academics.

Here we come to another point that has always bothered me. The amount of dedication children in school settings are forced to put into things. I agree that one must be taught how to focus and reach goals, but do you really have to set goals for your entire life when you're 15? You don't even know who you are entirely and what you want or what you like. All you know is that people like parents, teachers etc have expectations and you need to set your aim in life to start working towards it with all your might. The day you walk out of high school you better have a new place to go to - otherwise you'll be kicked out of your parents place or thought of as a burden. Of course it's not any better to be dwindling about and not knowing where you are going in life for years and years after you finish your school life, like it happens around here a lot. But if you already set goals during puberty then it's rather likely you will wake up one day when you're 30, working on a meaningless post, and find yourself questioning whether you made any of the choices yourself or was your mind just molded to that direction by others. 
Young people actually need the time to fail and be free in order to find out what really matters to them in life. Can this really be accomplished by expecting them to choose when they're still children? I don't know. But I do know that there is a bunch of weird people in Japan who like to sniff girls panties and do extremely disgusting things to find some shelter from the iron setting the society has pressed upon them.

One last extremely important thing about being a teenager and finding out what is important to you is about love - and romance in general. In this sense I'm extremely glad that there are animes to sort of guide young people through it. Another thing I am glad about is how important they show the 'confession' part of the process to be. It's a climax point of the innocent love where you really need to pull yourself together and accomplish something. I admire the people who have the courage to face their crush in the broad daylight and confess their feelings. But that is not usually how it works around where I live and I believe it's more or less the same everywhere else in the West. 

Here people get together at someone's house -> get drunk -> start making out. After that it's probably pretty obvious one or both of the parties like the other. 
"I like you!" "Yeah, your tongue in my throat gave it away." 

Sure, I've witnessed some innocent love myself even, where the boy and the girl actually tell each other how they feel, go for walks, hold hands, kiss for the first time. But that ends with kids turning like 13-15 and finding out how easy it is to get someone to buy you alcohol. After that you don't really need to face your embarrassing feelings alone and if you lack courage you can supplement for it from the bottle. But that also makes it so much easier to go too far too easily. You get drunk and happen to sleep with a guy? Well now, no use crying over spilled milk, eh? The amount of sex that is shown on TV doesn't really help with the image what is good and what is not.

That's why I think that it's an important thing to actually face someone with no extra help from alcohol and tell them how you feel. Sure, it's embarrassing and sometimes useless since you might already know what the other is going to say. But to muster up your courage and go for it while knowing you might be both accepted or rejected is something you will remember for your entire life. It gives the whole business a meaning. Making out while drunk and then dating them cause you might as well, will turn into a mass of hazy memories when you're older, none of them really meaning anything. I sincerely believe that everyone should have to confess at least once as a teenager to know what it really means to try to reach someone with feelings

Yet, I don't think I would actually prefer living in the Japanese society. Regardless of how many good points the collective consciousness has, it's important to be free too. If you don't feel the direction you've chosen in life is right for you then all you have to do is take your life into your own hands and work for the things you really want. And people will support you. But in animes people seem to be so tightly set in their own tracks that when the time comes to change something, it seems to be the hardest thing in the world. True, there are people like that here too, but at least societies urge people to go for what they really want. There the world revolves around what the society wants...

Thank you for reading my blabber and hopefully some of my points have reached you.
Will be back next week!

Awesome romance anime

*Includes spoilers. All media credits go to their owners.*

First of all - I know I missed last week, my conscience told me. But since I needed sleep between sessions of hardcore studying, I couldn't help it :( Anyway, this week I'm continuing with my practical writing exercise, so yay for me!

I've never really liked full romance animes. I mean, I've always LOVED romance in animes - but only if the anime was of any other genre than romance itself. The school-love combo just gives me nothing - it's full of horrible melancholic moments and weird choices by the main characters, from wether to admit their feelings to bla bla bla...

Please don't be offended

But! This season I've been forced to eat my words - I think probably for the first time ever. Because I'm sorry to admit it, but I didn't really like Clannad. The After Story was great (let me specify - the marriage story was great), but the regular Clannad was so damn boring. Seriously, I considered skipping it all in all. Eventually I had to force myself into watching it because I wanted to properly see what After Story, the nr 1 spot on ANN was about. But it was just another story about how people form groups in a collectivistic society that will likely be their only network of connections next to their colleagues for the rest of their lives... damn I'm glad I live in the West.

After Clannad I've seen a bunch of faliures - that at least I thought were meant to be romance animes. Like Chihayafuru - okay, maybe it was meant to be a 'sports' anime, but seriously, wasn't everyone hoping for the storyline they began with the triangle to evolve.... ? Was that just me...? Woopsie... <.<
And then Natsuyuki Rendezvous. Bad. So bad. I had such high hopes - I was cheering for it until the very end. But it ended in complete randomness. I would like to take this time and ask: Excuse me, but what was the point of that entire anime? We all knew the ghost would have to give up Hazuki's body in the end, we all knew how sad that whole situation was... what exactly did this anime give us? The ghost was still floating around even after his wife had died after living decades and decades with another man.... So in the end there was no closure, no nothing. Stupid.
I also checked out Arcana Famiglia, which I knew was shoujou, but I tried anyway.... was bad, so whiny. Yuk!

Junjou Romantica

Okay, I guess I did like one romance anime, but that was probably because I had never seen one like that before. And it had sex, lots of sex. I like sex :x
I'm not even entirely sure this should be counted as romance - but they are doing romantic stuff, right? And the title says so... Perhaps a pretty straightforward anime pick for my very first yaoi, but then again it had some mushy feelings in it and all that. It's not like it was Ai no Kusabi reborn :D (oh yeah, those who have seen it blushed a little there). Didn't have lots of school in it - still evolved around a university, so I'm guessing that counts. Anyway, that was kind of fun and fresh. So, coolio. I'm borrowing this phrase from a friend. Cooli-o. Coolio.

But other than that I had never seen a traditional romance anime that I'd actually like. Until Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun (My Little Monster) came along! Alright, maybe it's not very traditional in the sense of what goes on in there, but basically - it has romance, it has school life - I think I've found my perfect traditional exception, finally! 

First of all, it's funny - anyone who sees it and isn't completely derived of a sense of humor, should see that. Sometimes the fun is situational, sometimes it's just the things they say and the responses they give. The characters are special and not your typical: worn out hero-type gentle high school guy, who keeps coming to the rescue with only pure thoughts in his head; and the kind and useless lead female. No. This time the hero is a genius-boy who has extremely weird tastes, is brutal, a bit dirty-minded and actually has feelings he's not afraid to admit. But for a change, the girl doesn't get overshadowed - she's smart, blunt, knows what she wants and isn't afraid to say it either. Basically they're both downright honest - not such a common thing in anime, eh? So throw in a bunch of rich delinquents, a nice baseball dude, a cute but dumb girl who is also incidentally an internet geek, and a shy class-rep who isn't so shy after all when she falls for the male lead - and you get a mixture crazy, funny and romantic that actually resembles real life. Oh, and don't forget the rooster - the rooster is important!

I mean it isn't so unusual to kind of fall for your best friend, now is it? And it isn't unusual to tell the person you like them, try to figure things out. So where the regular romance anime goes on for episodes and episodes of denying their feelings, trying to be just friends, this one comes right out and says it: "Now that I realised I have feelings for you, I want to do all kinds of things to you..." - Haru.

So far in this show, they've confessed like four times, changed their priorities, realised the world isn't black-and-white, kissed, gone on dates, stopped dating - and it's still at episode 7! Every week I just cannot wait for another episode, it's freaking awesome! I'll throw in a few pics to illustrate my point.

Haru and Shizuku

Haru forces Shizuku to go eat out with him

Oshima having a moment with Haru... and Nagoya

A bit of the philosophy that drives Haru

Shizuku announces her ambition, Haru backs her up

Shizuku and Haru, almost there...

Shizuku flushed after a kiss attempt

Haru thinking about Shizuku

Basically - watch this anime or you'll miss out on a helluva lot of epicness!

More grains to spill next week - share your thoughts in the meanwhile!

Epic anime women

*Includes spoilers. All media credits go to their owners.*

Over the years I've seen quite a few animes and wether they're shoujo, shounen, slice of life, romance, drama or any other genre, there is this one thing that has always bothered me. The lack of powerful women. Sure, there are a few that have neat tricks up their sleeves or they provide strong support. But as for being actually strong on equal terms to male characters, there are very very few.

First, lets make it clear: powerful does NOT equal headstrong or tsundere. Powerful in the sense of having physical (or mental if the anime is about that particular feat) strength of their own - that does not revolve around kicking boys in the head and causing nose bleeds
The second prequisite is that there have to be some, but at least one, male characters of equal strength. Why? Because it's not really any kind of competition if there are only women, now is it? Wether we women like it or not, men are physically stronger, so if it's only females battling it out then there is always room for "A strong man could've beaten them all!"
Third, the woman has to be - if not human - then at least organical. If they're already modified with electrical gadgets and metal, well, it doesn't really count as fair play anymore. Also, it leaves room for: "She only beat him cause she's a cyborg."
And finally - no guns. I mean I don't mind girls with guns, but how would I count it as a strength? Are women stronger when they have guns? Sure, I guess. But aren't men? Yeah, they are. But how do I calculate this as a strength? Was Yoko from TTGL strong? I mean I guess she was - she had to carry that massive thing around. Was it equal to Simon and Kamina...? How about Riza Hawkeye from FMA? And Seras Victoria from Hellsing? I mean she was a vampire so she was obviously strong, but can we compare it to Alucard? I don't know and I'm no expert regarding guns so I'm leaving them out. End of story.

Now a little explanation of why I'm interested at all. Since women are naturally weaker, it's only logical to give them other kind of strengths and tools. They can be healers, supporters and tamers of their men, mental guides - anything that involves nurturing and caring. It seems that especially Japanese people value women by their grace and gentleness. 
And that's fine. I don't mind characters like Nagisa from Clannad, who tries hard to grow on her own and be there for Tomoya; Winry from FMA - the mental and mechanical support of Ed and Al; Mayuri from Steins;Gate who with her simple and gentle personality helps lift everyone to their potential and bind the group together; and the classical Tomoe from Rurouni Kenshin working as a sheath to Kenshin's sword. Many others as well, I'm sure everyone has their own favourites.

But then in other end of that Japanese grace are the loud obnoxious female characters that hide their weaknesses behind a hurricane of emotion and farce. Mostly they make me want to smash their stupid faces into brick walls. 
Like Sakura from Naruto. Yeah? So you decided you'd go after Sasuke to finish him on your own, failed miserably and had to be saved by the man whose feelings you keep ignoring? Or Asuka from NGE. So your mommy doesn't recognize you, how about you take it out on poor Shinji, eh? Even Saber from FS/N. Of course it's Shirou's fault that she's not at her full power, but that doesn't change the reality of how her runs in and gets beaten up all the time. God dammit, woman! Stop that!
I'm sure not everyone agrees on these particular characters, but imagine there's that one character you find annoying. And then there's dozens and dozens of these characters - they appear to be stronger than average but get themselves in trouble all the time just the same.

So when watching a shounen or anime similarly filled with action, it's like a fresh breeze when some anime women turn out to be pretty worthy on their own. For a change, you don't have to think: 'Dammit, why did she show up? She's only going to get in the Hero's way' and instead you can actually catch yourself going: 'Hell yeah, backup! She's gonna come kick some serious butt!'

So you can imagine how happy it makes me, to finally be able to actually look up to someone.

I have compiled a short list of the epic anime females, that make me smile.

5. Natsume Maya

Natsume Maya

Maya is treading on the edge of my criterias. She never actually managed to beat the beautiful Takayanagi Mitsuomi nor her incest-oriented brother Shin, but she was still portrayed good enough to train the Hero, Souichiro Nagi, as well as the younger Takayanagi brother. Her methods were refined, her style unquestionable. It was a great choice by the creators that she often walked around in her child-form, drawing the attention off her ridiculously "feminine" shape and giving room for some genuine wisdom and respect. Even if she wasn't truly all that strong, I'm glad there is a full-time female mentor character out there.

4. Kirigakure Shura

Pupil of the previous strongest exorcist and kind of a senpai to Rin and Yukio, Shura is displayed as a real crowd pleaser. Barely covered, fond of drinking and video games, Shura also comes with a mysteriously dangerous past. What's there not to like, right? Right?

3. Shihouin Yoruichi

Shihouin Yoruichi

Compared to the other candidates, this one stands out due to the normal size of her chest. Rare sight. I'm guessing bigger boobs in anime are supposed to remind us that this is after all a woman and not a strong man in disguise...
Now, if I had the ability to turn into a cat... well, purr. 
Although Yoruichi might lose a bit edge as the show evolves, at least in the first saga she makes a pretty meaningful appearance. She isn't shown to take on Byakuya entirely, but then again she isn't afraid to snatch Ichigo right from under his nose. It is a little disappointing that when the Arrancarr saga starts, she needs to be saved by Urahara during her fight with Yammy. But at the end of the day - she was a captain, the inventor of shunko and the Goddess of shunpo. Also, if Urahara treats her as an equal.... *wink wink*

2. Hamyuts Meseta

Hamyuts Meseta

If you've ever watched Tatakau Shisho - the Book of Bantorra, you're bound to remember this name forever. Mainly because of how the meats constantly repeated it. Hamyutsu Meseta o korose! Something of the like anyway.

But I'm guessing her chest, bunny-embroidered white shirts and godlike abilities with a sling will contribute to the purpose quite nicely. It's true that she was programmed to behave like she did in order to kill Ruruta, however throughout the series we are shown bits of her that are still very much human. The ending and Matt's feelings for her only highlight it and prove that she is one awesome woman!

As a sidenote: Aaaahh, what a nice grown-up relationship - no nosebleeds, no embarrassment. 

1. Erza Scarlet

Erza Scarlet

Erza, the beautiful scarlet goddess of magic and armor. Among the five that I mentioned, this one fits the job description best. Finally, FINALLY there is one epic woman that brings hope and strength with her. When watching Fairy Tail, you just know, that if Natsu or the others are in trouble and if Erza finally shows up, hope has returned. She fights Laxus and his thunder palace, Midnight, Azuma, one of the toughest enemies to beat - herself in Edolas form, not to mention Jellal, the man he loves. And many others. Erza carries pride, righteousness and amazing conviction with her head held high making her definitely the most desirable anime woman to look up to.

Go go, Erza! Beat them all in the hopefully-upcoming-magic-tournament-after-starry-heavens-arc!

P.S. Don't tell me what happens in the manga!

I have more grains to spill next Friday. In the meanwhile you can share your opinion  - which female characters do you find epic?